CPM rift out in the open again

After a short break Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan on Wednesday gave a clear indication that ideological rift in the CPM state unit is far from over. Flouting the central leadership’s strict directive not to breach party discipline the chief minister lashed out at the revisionists saying that they were inimical to the ideology.

Hitting out at his rivals in the party, he said the people of the state were mature enough to evaluate whether he was a moderate or an extremist. What really angered the chief minister was the recent statement of the party state committee that those who propound the second agrarian revolution were really propagating extremist ideals.

The State Committee meet had dumped his second agrarian revolution, a pet theme he had set in motion after ‘reclaiming’ the Tata Tea land in Munnar.

The latest outburst is likely to invite serious trouble for CM. Last year both, he and party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, were suspended from the politburo for airing their views publicly.

For the first time the chief minister admitted that a section of the party had misled the Politburo that if he led the party in the assembly elections its prospects would be marred. “Some of my friends had briefed the Politburo that if he led the party the Congress would return to power. But later Politburo corrected itself,” he said rebutting his rival’s claim that his style of functioning has brought disrepute to the party.. “Later I led the party to a three-fourth majority. The party general secretary had explained this in the last Kottaym party conclave.”

The latest outburst of the chief minister is likely to invite censure from the party leadership. Knowing fully well that he had to swallow bitter pills VS kept away from the state committee proceedings most of the time citing ill-health.